Passengers on a Qantas flight between Sydney and Johannesburg have recently experienced unexpected delays, with the airline blaming rocket debris that fell from Elon Musk's SpaceX for the disruption.
The southern Indian Ocean, frequently crossed by Qantas aircraft, is a designated water-landing zone for SpaceX rocket re-entry.
Qantas said notifications about rocket re-entries often arrive late, forcing the airline to delay flights to ensure passenger safety.
“Over the past few weeks, we have been forced to delay several flights due to recommendations from the U.S. government regarding SpaceX rocket reentry,” the airline told Euronews Travel.
Flight tracking data and SpaceX's launch schedule suggest a clear link between the Qantas flight delay and the recent Falcon 9 rocket launch.
For example, the Jan. 10 flight from Johannesburg to Sydney departed five and a half hours late, coinciding with the launch of Falcon 9 carrying the Starlink satellite.
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is partially reusable, with the first stage returning to Earth for a future launch.
However, the upper stage is a 3.5 ton aluminum section that will remain in orbit until it eventually burns up on re-entry. Occasionally, fragments of the debris survive the descent and land in remote areas and, rarely, on private property.
Flight route analyst Dr James Pearson said Qantas' Sydney-Johannesburg flight was particularly affected by its route south through the Indian Ocean.
South African Airways' flights on the northerly route between Johannesburg and Perth are not affected.
Although the risk of space debris hitting commercial aircraft is minimal, airlines prioritize safety. Qantas continues to hold discussions with SpaceX to coordinate the timing and location of rocket re-entry to minimize disruption.
A Qantas spokesperson said: “Customers generally understand that this is outside the airline's control.”
Aerospace Corporation estimates that between 200 and 400 pieces of space debris fall to Earth each year, and that number is expected to increase as more satellites are deployed.
SpaceX alone has launched more than 7,000 satellites, with plans to expand to 34,000 in the future, compounding the challenges posed by satellite failures and discarded rocket parts.
